Forum: Not too late to study if Long Island can be formed without land reclamation
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The Long Island project is possibly the most consequential project to impact Singapore in an age of climate change, biodiversity degradation and rising sea levels. It creates space for leisure and development, and barricades the adjacent low-lying area from potential seawater surges in the future.
However, importing millions of tonnes of sand to reclaim hundreds of hectares from the foreshores or river beds of countries in the region destroys the ecosystems that support the livelihood of many villagers.
The reclamation for Long Island will result in the decimation of bottom-dwelling creatures, flora and fauna. The sediment plumes will block sunlight for months and years, leading to the extermination of seagrass and weeds which are critical to other marine life as well as the planet.
Reclaimed land, as seen in many places such as Dubai and Japan, also requires costly maintenance.
It takes years for the reclaimed footprint to consolidate and one can never be certain that it does. The Japanese were caught wrong-footed when the runways and terminal building of Kansai airport started to sink in spite of multiple years of remedial measures.
The risks include soil liquefaction and sinkholes, which are more prevalent with extreme weather events.
Reclaimed lands add to our heat load and, in consequence, more energy is needed to keep the environment tolerable.
The Long Island lagoon could be formed without land reclamation by using gravity-based concrete caissons for which a 200-year life with little maintenance is possible. These caissons could be used to form a barrage to enclose the lagoon.
Very large floating structures could be deployed inside the lagoon, on which buildings may be built. Floating recreational spaces, such as parks, beaches and jogging tracks, would help preserve the character of the environment.
It is not too late to consider a solution other than land reclamation.
Lim Soon Heng
Founding president (2017-2019)
Society of Floating Solutions (Singapore)
